Field of Invention
This invention relates to a row-crop harvesting header for a combine harvester, and more particularly, to a row unit for the header that harvests stalk residue.
Description of Related Art
Agricultural harvesters such as combines are typically equipped with a harvesting header. For example, corn headers are specifically designed to pick corn and vary in size from two-row units to twelve-row units or more. Corn header row units typically use gathering chains to covey crop material and ears rearward toward a cross auger. A set of driven snap rolls grabs the corn stalks and forces them downward between stripper plates. The ears of corn are snapped free of the stalk and the cross auger passes the ears to the feeder housing of the combine harvester and the stalks are left on the ground. It is known to collect the crop residue (crop material other than grain) so that this residue can be used for conversion into fuel. Recovering the stalk material has required separate operations, for example, the use of a combine harvester to sever the stalks from the ground and the use of a baler to gather the stalks and form them into bales.
Recently, it has become desirable to tow the baler directly behind the combine harvester so that the baler receives at least a portion of the crop residue discharged from the combine harvester rather than have the crop residue impact the ground. U.S. Pat. No. 8,464,508 entitled “Baler Pickup for Collecting Biomass from a Combine Harvester” discloses such a harvester and baler.
It is desired then to provide a row unit for a harvesting header that harvests at least some of the stalk residue with the ears to better feed the baler.